Silver Stars completed a fairy tale when they reached the final of the Coca-Cola Cup in their first season in the Premier Soccer League.
Stars defeated Golden Arrows 1-0 in Giyani on Sunday to earn the right to play the winner of the replay between Kaizer Chiefs and Wits University in the lucrative cup final.
Stars led 1-0 at halftime.
Arrows were the architects of their own downfall. An own goal scored by Arrows defender Lesley Langa was enough to put the Limpopo club into their first-ever cup final.
But Arrows had the chance to take the match into extra time when the coastal club were awarded a penalty in injury time. Stars goalkeeper Johannes Diali was adjudged to have fouled striker Harry Milanzi inside the penalty area. Milanzi stepped up to take the penalty, but the pressure seemed to get the Arrow player, who blasted his penalty well wide of the Stars goals.
Stars were full value for their win but their finishing was terrible. Thay should have scored three or four more goals in the second half as Arrows gambled and threw players forward trying to score the equaliser.
As a result Arrows were vulnerable at the back. But Morris Chauke, Koketsto Mmotong and Lynch Pule all missed easy goal-scoring chances in the second half.
Stars were on top in the first half. Arrows keeper Francis Chansa pulled off a stunning save from a deflected free kick from Manqoba Mkhize in the 25th minute. But Chansa could do little about Langa’s terrible back header that took him by surprise for the only goal of the match on 38 minutes. — Sapa